Photo: Reproduction.
Many of us have heard the warning never to put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear, and the scary story of someone bursting their eardrum with a cotton swab is common. Although eardrum perforations are considered “fairly rare,” they can be serious, warns Seth Schwartz, an otolaryngologist at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle. And when they do occur, cotton swabs are often involved.
Here's why it's important to stop using cotton swabs in your ears and other ways to clean them safely and effectively.
First, it's important to understand that earwax is not an enemy to be fought, explains Alexandra Quimby, an otolaryngologist at Upstate University Hospital in New York. This substance, made up of oily skin secretions, sweat and dead skin cells, protects the sensitive inner ear by trapping irritating particles such as dirt, dust, bacteria and fungi and regulating humidity.
Earwax also helps remove dead skin cells from the inner ear. During activities such as bathing or chewing, earwax transports these cells to the outer ear, where they are eventually excreted.
If you try to remove earwax with cotton swabs, you risk irritating the sensitive skin of the inner ear, says Dr. HaeOk Ana Kim, a doctor specializing in inner ear diseases at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. New York . Although the fibers in the cotton swabs appear soft, they are actually abrasive and can encourage the production of more earwax, increasing the risk of ear canal blockage.
Cotton swabs can also push earwax deeper into the ear canal, causing a buildup that can cause itching, pain, fullness, or even hearing loss.
An estimated 5% of adults in the United States experience earwax buildup or congestion each year, and this is more common in older adults or people who wear hearing aids. People with skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, as well as those with small or differently shaped ear canals, may also be at increased risk of blockage.
If you suspect a blockage, it is important to see a doctor who can safely remove it.
There are other safe ways to clean your ears:
- Clean the outer ear with a damp towel without inserting anything into the ear canal.
- Try overthecounter ear drops to soften earwax and make it easier to remove.
- Avoid using homemade or storebought wax removal tools as they can be dangerous.
- If you decide to use cotton swabs, use them responsibly and do not insert them into the ear canal. If you experience pain, itching, or a stuffy feeling in your ears, contact a doctor for proper evaluation and treatment.
With information from Folha de S. Paulo.